Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Thursday 24 October 2013

Jerzens, Tirol

I spent the past week in the Tirolean Alps with the family. It was my first time being in Austria and Tirol, and, although I'd been the Swiss Alps a few years ago, this time was completely unique because the entire village and basically that whole area of the Alps were deserted save for a few of the locals. Everyone is taking a much needed break after the summer tourism season is over, and the winter one won't begin for another few weeks.

We flew to Memmingen airport, which Ryanair dubs 'West Munich'. This is a lie, it is over 100km from Munich, but was the best way for us to access Tirol coming from Ireland. My parents and I rented a car and before we knew it we were sailing down the autobahn, with the beautiful farmland and countryside of Bavaria whizzing on either side. Bavaria is one of my favourite places; I spent some time in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Würzburg and of course München the year before last, and I have beautiful memories of that part of Germany.

Ruefully, we drove on, and although I would have loved to just stay in Bavaria our destination was somewhere equally idyllic; Austrian Tirol. And I soon realised it was just as great as Bavaria. Gently sloping farmland with sparsely dotted trees gave way to inclines, slight and then steeper, pines, Alpine lodges and eventually dramatic views and extreme winding roads.



We stayed in a family-run hotel called Landhaus Raich which is run by the bubbly and caring Birgit and her husband, who is incidentally the mayor of Jerzens. Small world. On our first evening she invited us for cakes and coffee, and some schnapps she made herself from the berry of a pine tree that grows locally.

She told us that, because of the huge amount of snow they'd had the week before, her friend over in Italian Tirol needed help harvesting her apples right away, so she would be going the next day to harvest, and two days after we could have some of her freshly made apfelsaft. The woman knows how to host, I'm telling you!

On the grounds of the hotel (I use the term 'hotel' lightly, it was more like a series of self contained apartments, each decked out in typical Tirolean style, within her huge house) there were stables for about 7 horses, a chicken coop, a play area for kids, a tiny swimming pool and a goat. It was heaven, and my 5 year old nephew, Adrian, certainly agreed with me.








In the chicken coop were boxes, one for each room, with a special lock belonging to the occupant of the room. In your very own box you could find eggs, freshly laid, for breakfast every day. It was a really lovely touch.

We enjoyed horse riding, swimming, hikes and adventure activities, Adrian and I spent a good bit of time in the playroom playing games and it was good to spend time together as a family. My brother and his family have lived abroad for a few years now, first in Germany and now in Switzerland, so I've come to take for granted that I'll see them once, maybe twice a year.

In the self-created busyness we tire ourselves out with, it was so grounding (is that a pun, considering the altitude?) to make time, to be in the fresh air, drinking Alpine water, feel consistent but mild vertigo, and appreciating life at a different pace, in a different style, with my very own family. Experiences like this make all the difference, rare moments of true beauty and calm. We all need to take more time to realise how lucky we are.

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Ireland, At Last

I haven't been posting at all recently because I've been in Ireland, and since my dad had a hilarious run in with the phone company about three years ago we have had neither phone line nor internet connection at home. So it goes. I've enjoyed the welcome break from internetting, and have been spending so much time outdoors because, it seems, the first pleasant summer in Irish history occurs the year I'm here for it.

I've been on so many trips already; The Burren and Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare, Sligo to my mom's family home, The Hill of Tara, Dowth and Newgrane, The Boyne Valley. I'll write about all of my trips in individual posts, because I think it's nicer that way

So, like I said, the weather has been beautiful, and I've really surprised myself to see that my arms and feet are no longer pinky, but yellow. It's not quite a tan, but it's the best I've done in my entire life to date. I've been wearing a sunhat constantly, so I've been protecting my head and neck while letting my legs and arms get a little bit of sun, something I've never done before.

I spent the first few days settling back in. Actually, I went on a road trip the morning after I got home, but spent the days upon my return getting reacquainted with my cats, and my room. I have started the arduous task of sorting through all our family photos, and intend to go to my aunt's to help with scanning all the projector slides from their childhood in Africa to a digital format.

I've been spending at least an hour every morning sitting at the table in the back garden, with Leo until he left this morning, eating breakfast, drinking tea, warding off the cats from eating our food, and relaxing. Leo came to my house for the first time, so it was an excuse to go on trips around the Boyne Valley, adventure in the fields behind my house (we live a mile away from Fairyhouse, where the Irish Grand National is held), and cycle around my area, pointing out all the significant spots from my childhood. It's been surreal, to say the least.

He pointed out the Ash trees on my roads that are showing signs of the fungus that will eventually wipe them all out. It's terribly sad, but that's nature. We've been on a few nighttime and early morning cycles, this morning's 4am cycle probably holds the record though. We cycle to Ratoath so Leo could get the bus to the airport (Italy is calling), and then I cycled home alone, taking in the smells and sounds of pre-sunrise.

The fields full of barley, wheat and rapeseed and the little country lanes used to represent to me being stuck in one place in time and not being able to move; as a kid I wanted nothing more than to live near people my age. But with time and distance I've come to appreciate my area for its' beauty, the good farmland, the houses; cosy, massive or architecturally impressive, the dogs that run at your heels as you cycle by, the manicured gardens and the horses in fields. I love it all.



Tattersalls


Summer

Jam-making